anyone else horrified by the journalist who sedates her kids on long journeys?

i was really shocked by this. I have done many a long train journey when my son was a baby and toddler. He would cry and be noisy and want to run up and down the carriage. It would still never enter my head to sedate him and believe me the journeys were very stressful! I would be terrified and be watching every breath he took and probably end up more stressed as a result.

Being prescribed it from a doctor is one thing but i find it wrong to make your child sleep just so you have an easier journey. If as a mother you decide to take small children on a 28 hour flight (madness in my view) then you make sure you have plenty to amuse the kids.

You are right in what you say about it being a slippy slope. I had no idea piriton could have such an effect on kids and now it's made common knowledge, you may well get parents dosing their kids just to shut them up at night.

Each to their own as parenting doesn't come with a hand book. Interesting topic.

I am not shocked either. The first time my Mum did a long-haul flight with two small children, she did the same. We were all emtional, tired and unsettled and it was the first time she travelled alone on a plane with her children. Nothing serious, just something mild to make us sleep. I would contemplate it as well in certain situations.

Phenergan used to be the drug of choice for that sort of thing. its an antihistimine and not harmful.

You used to be able to buy it in syrup form that could be given to children, my Mum tried to buy some in boots a few years back when she had my Son staying with her, he is allergic to her cats and got itchy welts on his back. She was unsuccessful! she said the chemist asked her lots of questions and refused to sell it to her.

lljkk, yeah when i gaVE it to my son I didn't know if it would make him giddy or drowsy. It can go either way!

Tanya86, exactly, parenting doesn't come with one handbook, there are hundreds, and it is your own benchmark there to deem it ok, different, 'acceptable' if the drugs are prescribed by a doctor. In fact though, that's a meaningless benchmark because a doctor will prescribe them if you ask.

Now that my children are old enough to sit down on a long train journey I would have little patience for parents who are determined not to 'drug' their children even though their children are 'running up and down the carriage and making lots of noise'. Argh, drug them, please!

I sedate myself, if possible. Having tried loads of things, the best travel tactic I have is to drink champagne so that I can actually doze off, even if it's only 20-30 minutes. It makes a huge difference to helping me get over jet lag quicker at other end if I can do that. I don't sleep on planes otherwise.

So even a small sleep for small children travelling far, I expect has same benefits. Did the journo say her DC slept the whole 28 hrs?

It used to be part of my journey plan to dole out the piriton to the dc. For the benefit of them as much as myself and other travellers. Moons ago my sisters nurse friend used to pinch pre-med from the hospital and consume before take-off. Now, thats 'drugging up'.

I am not shocked either. The first time my Mum did a long-haul flight with two small children, she did the same. We were all emtional, tired and unsettled and it was the first time she travelled alone on a plane with her children. Nothing serious, just something mild to make us sleep. I would contemplate it as well in certain situations.

i've been told on an old thread here that it was child abuse to sedate your child. Taht sort of over reaction and lack of any discretion at all makes me laugh though. Never heard of her though. (luckily??)

well Sanctimumious lets hope you never come across me on a train because i won't sedate my children for anyone. Anti histimine or not. Kinda hypocritical that now your kids are old enough to sit on the train you can't be bothered with other peoples. That's the joys of public transport i'm afraid.

What's hypocrital about not bothering with other people's children now my own are older????????

Am I obliged to put up with your children? I sedated my children on long journeys, and now you want me to ... what, precisely? What on earth have I done or said that is hypocritical? Do you know what that word means?